1. All about Eve
Essay Planning

2. Planning Steps
For every text response essay you write, you should work through the same planning process.
1. Underline key words and identify synonyms
2. Turn the topic into a question or series of questions and answer them. This will help you establish your contention
3. Develop 3-4 reasons in support of your contention. These will become your topic sentences
4. Consider the examples/evidence you can use to support each reason
5. Sort out the examples to avoid repetition. Order your paragraphs.

3. Let’s have a try…
All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss

4. Step One All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Planning Step
Planning Step in Action…
1. Underline key words and identify synonyms
All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Fame – notoriety, recognition, prominence, celebrity
Ambition – Drive, desire
Willing - prepared
Give up – lose, pay
Achieve – attain, accomplish

5. Step Two All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Planning Step
Planning Step in Action…
2. Turn the topic into a question or series of questions and answer them. This will help you establish your contention
What are people willing to give up to achieve fame?
Do all characters seek fame?
Do all people give up the same things/same amount? Why/Why not?

6. Step Two continued… All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Question/s
Contention
What are people willing to give up to achieve fame?
Do all characters seek fame?
Do all characters give up the same things/same amount? Why/Why not?
In All About Eve, Mankiewicz presents some ‘theatre folk’ whose insatiable desire for celebrity and ‘waves of love’ can come at a great cost, while others move out of the spotlight in order to achieve happiness.

7. Step Three All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Planning Step
Planning Step in Action…
3. Develop 3-4 reasons in support of your contention. These will become your topic sentences
Contention: In All About Eve, Mankiewicz presents some ‘theatre folk’ whose insatiable desire for celebrity and ‘waves of love’ can come at a great cost, while others move out of the spotlight in order to achieve happiness.
Reason 1:
M suggests that women pay a greater price for their ambition then men, due to the gender bias prevalent in 1950s America.
Reason 2:
Ultimately, M suggests that the cost of pursuing stardom is not isolated to individual characters in the film, but fundamental to the theatre industry more broadly.
Reason 3:
The drive to succeed amongst ‘theatre folk’ in the ‘stone jungle’ can dominate so strongly that they become ruthless and amoral.
Reason 4:
Not all characters are driven by fame and ambition and Mankiewicz presents marriage as an alternative means of fulfilment.

8. Step Four All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
4. Consider the examples you can use to support each reason

9. Step 4 continued… All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Reason 1
Evidence
Mankiewicz suggests that women pay a greater price for their ambition then men, due to the gender bias prevalent in 1950s America.
car scene
Eve compared to Addison in final hotel suite scene
Lloyd, Bill and Max ‘ageless’ in the theatre

10. Step 4 continued… All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Reason 2
Evidence
M suggests that the cost of pursuing stardom is not isolated to individual characters in the film, but fundamental to the theatre industry more broadly.
Bill’s commentary on ‘theatre’ folk and what sets them apart
Nature of the industry – sharp teeth
M’s decision to conclude the film with Phoebe – the cycle of fame

11. Step 4 continued… All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Reason 3
Evidence
The drive to succeed amongst ‘theatre folk’ in the ‘stone jungle’ can dominate so strongly that they become ruthless and amoral.
Eve – methods she uses to rise to the top – manipulation, deception
Addison – the theatre being his only world and his ruthlessness in maintaining his position

12. Step 4 continued… All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Reason 4
Evidence
Reason 4:
Not all characters are driven by fame and ambition and Mankiewicz presents marriage as an alternative means of fulfilment.
Karen
Margo’s decision to marry Bill and step out of the theatre

13. Step Five All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Planning Step
Planning Step in Action…
5. Sort out the examples to avoid repetition. Order your paragraphs.
M suggests that women pay a greater price for their ambition then men, due to the gender bias prevalent in 1950s America. BP 2
Reason 2:
Ultimately, M suggests that the cost of pursuing stardom is not isolated to individual characters in the film, but fundamental to the theatre industry more broadly. BP 4
Reason 3:
The drive to succeed amongst ‘theatre folk’ in the ‘stone jungle’ can dominate so strongly that they become ruthless and amoral. BP 1
Reason 4:
Not all characters are driven by fame and ambition and Mankiewicz presents marriage as an alternative means of fulfilment. BP 3

14. Step Five continued… All About Eve is about fame, ambition and what people are willing to give up in order to achieve it. Discuss
Planning Step
Planning Step in Action…
5. Sort out the examples to avoid repetition. Order your paragraphs.
Why does this paragraph order work better?
The drive to succeed amongst ‘theatre folk’ in the ‘stone jungle’ can dominate so strongly that they become ruthless and amoral. BP 1
M suggests that women pay a greater price for their ambition then men, due to the gender bias prevalent in 1950s America. BP 2
Not all characters are driven by fame and ambition and Mankiewicz presents marriage as an alternative means of fulfilment. BP 3
Ultimately, M suggests that the cost of pursuing stardom is not isolated to individual characters in the film, but fundamental to the theatre industry more broadly. BP 4

15. Introduction Introduce film Contention Supporting reasons
Consider using quotations
In ‘All About Eve’, Joseph Mankiewicz exposes the cutthroat reality of the theatrical world lurking behind the sophisticated façade. The viewer is presented with characters whose insatiable desire for celebrity and ‘waves of love’ comes at a great cost, while others choose to move out of the spotlight in order to achieve happiness. The drive to succeed amongst ‘theatre folk’ in the ‘stone jungle’ can dominate so strongly that they become ruthless and amoral. However Mankiewicz suggests that women pay a greater price for their ambition then men, due to the gender bias prevalent in 1950s America. It is important to note that not all characters in All About Eve are driven by fame and marriage is presented as an alternative means of fulfilment. Ultimately, Mankiewicz suggests that the cost of pursuing stardom is not isolated to individual characters in the film, but fundamental to the theatre industry more broadly.

16. Body Paragraphs Remember TEEL
Your topic sentence must present a clear argument to support your contention
Include quotations and other evidence (include mis en scene and production elements)
Bring in Mankiewicz and the viewer regularly to aid your analysis
Remember that bridging words – ‘highlights’, ‘suggests’, ‘symbolises’ etc are very useful